---
product_id: 8496831
title: "The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle"
price: "€ 33.78"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/8496831-the-art-of-worldly-wisdom-a-pocket-oracle
store_origin: HR
region: Croatia
---

# The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle

**Price:** € 33.78
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- **What is this?** The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle
- **How much does it cost?** € 33.78 with free shipping
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- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/8496831-the-art-of-worldly-wisdom-a-pocket-oracle)

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## Description

A centuries-old rediscovered masterpiece of 300 adages on how to live successfully yet responsibly in a society governed by self-interest, as astonishingly appropriate today as it was in seventeenth-century Spain “ The Art of Worldly Wisdom is a book of strategies for knowing, judging, and acting: for making one’s way in the world and achieving distinction and perfection. . . . Like all aphorisms, these are meant to be read slowly, a few at a time.”—from the Introduction “Use human means as though divine ones did not exist, and use divine means as though there were no human ones.” The Art of Worldly Wisdom was written over three hundred years ago by Baltasar Gracián, one of Spain’s greatest writers—a worldly Jesuit scholar and keen observer of many in positions of power. His work draws on careful study of statesmen and potentates who managed to combine ethical behavior with worldly effectiveness. Each of the elegantly crafted maxims in this volume offers valuable insight on the art of living and the practice of achieving. These secular moral reflections on reality and appearances, self-love and friendship, wit and ignorance are sharply pragmatic, but still leave room for spirituality, tempered by prudence and discretion. Full of timeless wisdom as acute as Machiavelli yet as humanistic and scrupulously moral as Marcus Aurelius, The Art of Worldly Wisdom is an inspirational classic and an invaluable guide to navigating the complexities of life.

Review: A life well lived - If Gracián describes your life, then you are living very, very well. These few hundred brief, oblique, and aphoristic guidelines come down from the 17th century, but are as fresh and true as today's "talk" with your boss. They describe honor, skill, honesty, and trust. They describe the times when each must be pressed, and when each must be left behind. Gracián states again and again how each moment nurtures some effort or other, and how each kind of effort must await its moment. He also prescribes a peaceful mind, most times. That means letting go of matters that do not matter, for your own sake, for mercy towards those around you who may suffer brief lapses, and for your reputation as a person of judegement. I fault Gracián for exactly one lack: continuous and clear-eyed self criticism. The essence of all art and all science, in terms of daily practice, is the ability to look at one's own work, and to see clearly what parts succeed and what parts fail. Somehow, Gracián missed the bravery required to tear down your own work when it needs to be torn down, in order to build up something more worthy in its place. I also question Gracián's central emphasis on luck, on the benificent forces of the stars. I have seen luck, good and bad, and have always seen that it is a thing a person creates for him/herself. In my own life, I acknowledge random effects for good or bad, but I see little or no "luck." Gracián's essential message describes a person of honor, determination, insight, and adaptability. This person, in the end, can only succeed. This is a book to read, to re-read, and to re-read again. Mark it up, add your thoughts - it can only become more true. //wiredweird
Review: Knowledge without wisdom is an wasted - I stumbled across this book 2 decades ago and found it a tough read due to the old world verbiage. I found this book was best digested slowly so I read one of the 300 or so topics a day so a page a day. For a book of wisdom I found it was a great toilet read, go figure. Being an average student, over the course of 10 years, I read this book a total of eight times using a different marker for each reading. This book was the first guide on how to deal with others with a trained intellect rather than using my natural thinking and actions. This is a guide on how to influence people for their or your own benefit. The only other instruction of this caliber is the book of Proverbs by Rabbi/King Solomon. This is a book of wisdom that gives instruction on day to day interactions and how best to manage people and events that present in the course of life. Like a gun these principles can be used to pursue good or nefarious outcomes. In the very least comprehending the principles presented in The Art of Worldly Wisdom would arm you with knowledge and reason enough for you to recognize when someone is employing tactics covered in this book on you.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #30,650 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #41 in Religious Philosophy (Books) #111 in Philosophy of Ethics & Morality #769 in Personal Transformation Self-Help |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 464 Reviews |

## Images

![The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/812bYVPEAeL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A life well lived
*by W***D on May 14, 2005*

If Gracián describes your life, then you are living very, very well. These few hundred brief, oblique, and aphoristic guidelines come down from the 17th century, but are as fresh and true as today's "talk" with your boss. They describe honor, skill, honesty, and trust. They describe the times when each must be pressed, and when each must be left behind. Gracián states again and again how each moment nurtures some effort or other, and how each kind of effort must await its moment. He also prescribes a peaceful mind, most times. That means letting go of matters that do not matter, for your own sake, for mercy towards those around you who may suffer brief lapses, and for your reputation as a person of judegement. I fault Gracián for exactly one lack: continuous and clear-eyed self criticism. The essence of all art and all science, in terms of daily practice, is the ability to look at one's own work, and to see clearly what parts succeed and what parts fail. Somehow, Gracián missed the bravery required to tear down your own work when it needs to be torn down, in order to build up something more worthy in its place. I also question Gracián's central emphasis on luck, on the benificent forces of the stars. I have seen luck, good and bad, and have always seen that it is a thing a person creates for him/herself. In my own life, I acknowledge random effects for good or bad, but I see little or no "luck." Gracián's essential message describes a person of honor, determination, insight, and adaptability. This person, in the end, can only succeed. This is a book to read, to re-read, and to re-read again. Mark it up, add your thoughts - it can only become more true. //wiredweird

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Knowledge without wisdom is an wasted
*by P***T on April 6, 2022*

I stumbled across this book 2 decades ago and found it a tough read due to the old world verbiage. I found this book was best digested slowly so I read one of the 300 or so topics a day so a page a day. For a book of wisdom I found it was a great toilet read, go figure. Being an average student, over the course of 10 years, I read this book a total of eight times using a different marker for each reading. This book was the first guide on how to deal with others with a trained intellect rather than using my natural thinking and actions. This is a guide on how to influence people for their or your own benefit. The only other instruction of this caliber is the book of Proverbs by Rabbi/King Solomon. This is a book of wisdom that gives instruction on day to day interactions and how best to manage people and events that present in the course of life. Like a gun these principles can be used to pursue good or nefarious outcomes. In the very least comprehending the principles presented in The Art of Worldly Wisdom would arm you with knowledge and reason enough for you to recognize when someone is employing tactics covered in this book on you.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you love reading short but meaningful bits of advice, you should check out this interesting book.
*by J***E on March 22, 2015*

This interesting book (The Art of Worldly Wisdom: translated by Martin Fischer) contains 300 aphorisms taken from Baltasar Grecian’s numerous scholarly volumes. He lived around the 16th century teaching and writing. Not a whole lot is known about the author but he was a member of “the society of Jesus” which was a scholarly and academic group. These aphorisms cover an enormous amount of subject areas. The following are just a small sample of the topics covered: Mind and spirit, nature and art, fortune and fame, accomplish your ends, the art of being lucky, be gracious, think, never exaggerate, be shrewd, but not too shrewd, have strength of spirit, never lose your head, work with good tools, know how to refuse, generous in action, the art of living well, attain, and maintain a reputation, deal solely with men of honor, never talk about yourself, and many other bits of great advice. If you are a seeker of knowledge and bits of wisdom from the ancient masters, you may want to check out this book. Even though the writing style is not always clear (could be because of the translation) or easy to understand: nevertheless, this is still an excellent book to read. Some of the bits of wisdom are a pure joy to read. Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Haiku Moments: How to read, write and enjoy haiku).

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle
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*Product available on Desertcart Croatia*
*Store origin: HR*
*Last updated: 2026-05-21*